Conscious Cleaning?

'Cleaning? That's not very beauty related!' I hear you cry, but before you go to close this page, I urge you to read on - please!

As I have mentioned many times before, i'm on a mission to become cruelty free in every aspect of my life - and this includes the products I use in my home, not just the food I eat, the clothes/shoes I wear, the beauty/skincare products I use, and so on. 

Cleaning products - such as toilet cleaners, washing powders etc - can have a horrendous environmental/aquatic impact due to the chemicals they contain and also the packaging they come in. Detergents are now all biodegradable, though some may break down quicker than others, and still may contain many other harmful chemicals. Phosphates can cause eutrophication (process where water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth), upsetting the balance of nutrients in rivers and streams, while many products also contain enzymes, bleaches, brighteners and perfumes. People with sensitive skin or allergies many also find these substances may aggravate their condition.

Cruelty free and environmentally cleaning/washing/kitchen etc products are surprisingly hard to come by in the big supermarkets such as Tesco and Asda, and as you'll see I had to visit several different stores in order to compile the products shown below. 

The only stores I couldn't get to were Sainsbury's, whose own-brand products were awarded the Leaping Bunny Logo in 2011, and as such as certified free from animal testing, and The Co-Op (less widely available in Scotland that in England - well, certainly in my area!) are likewise certified - big Brucie bonus points to them!

But - to cut a long story short - I wanted to show what products are currently available when you look for them...

Asda Eco Friendly Double Concentrated Liquid Wash, 735ml £3.30 - The Asda Eco-Friendly range contains 6 other products (bathroom cleaner, toilet cleaner, fabric conditioner, kitchen & hob cleaner, multi surface spray and washing powder), all of which contain biodegradable ingredients sourced from plant-based materials and readily renewable sources to be kinder to the environment. They do not contain petrochemical based ingredients, artificial colours or preservatives, and have a 100% natural fragrance.

Ecover Fabric Conditioner 750ml £2.00  / Toilet Cleaner 750ml £1.69 / Washing up Liquid 1L £2.25  *on offer in Tesco until TOMORROW (21/05/13)! * - Ecover is a belgium-based company that manufactures ecologically sound cleaning products (made from plant based and mineral ingredients) and is part of the Ecover group; a global organisation with a strong sustainability track. Aquaver and The Change Initiative are also part of this group. They are one of the most widely-available (in terms of supermaket availability etc) eco-friendly brands out there - as well as online, I found them stocked at Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Wilkinsons in my town. 

Astonish Multisurface Cleaner With Bleach / Antibacterial Cleanser / Mould & Mildue Remover / Window & Glass Cleaner, all 99p! - I have Karris to thank for putting me on to these little gems: she put a picture of them on her instagram saying how they are BUAV approved, and I was on the internet finding out where they were stocked faster then you can say 'Bunnies!'. 

I was really pleased to find out they are stocked at a really wide range of places (many of which are in my town, hurrah), including B&M (where I got mine), Home Bargains, Poundland, Savers and Wilkinson. Their website actually contains a really useful little grid that shows you what stores stock what products - in case you do what I did and rock up to a place (Wilkinsons) and find they only stock stainless steel cleaner! 

But that's not the best bit: I expected the price of these products to be on par with the other environmentally friendly/cruelty free products (i.e. a teeny bit more expensive than other brands), and so couldn't believe it when all of the products above were only 99p! All of the products are environmentally friendly, with the company focusing on minimizing their environmental impact and has  an ongoing commitment to running an efficient, environmentally friendly operation, as demonstrated by their ISO 9001 and 14001accreditations.

Wilkinson Eco Baby Wipes £1.80 - Most baby wipes take several hundred years to break down, and considering the total number of wipes used over a baby's life has been estimated at 5000, that's a lot of landfill (especially when it isn't even taking into account wipes used for makeup remover, bathroom wipes and so on). These wipes are 100% biodegradable, enriched with organic chamomile and aloe extracts and are free from fragrance and any nasty parabens/chemicals. They aren't the thickest of wipes, but they are incredibly moist, and are ideal for everyday useage - I think 70 wipes for less than £2 is a bargain, especially when they're earth friendly.

As well as the above, which are excellent examples of environmentally/animal friendly products, you could make your own, and you are then guaranteed of their origin and cruelty free status, as well as being very economical. 

Vinegar has long been touted as the perfect multi-use product - there are several websites dedicated to it, including The Vinegar Institute!

I would also point you in the direct of A Thrifty Mrs blog, which has it's own 'how-to' section on Cleaning and House Work, where you can learn everything from how to clean with bicarbonate of soda, to how to make your own multi-surface spray!

Do you have any environmentally/animal friendly products you would recommend? Or maybe you're like A Thrifty Mrs and make your own? 

Review: NSpa Hot Cloth Polish

Like my hair, my skin has become rather tempremental of late,and skincare is something I am really struggling to 'nail down' in terms of products that suit my skin and actually work.

I am genuinely interested in skincare and researching various products and ingredients, but generally I just tend to buy products that take my fancy (the less fuss the better) and hope for the best!

Cleansers/makeup removers are a big thing for me, and I think the vast majority of people have tried the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Me being me, I'm always looking for beauty products on a budget (i.e. products that perform the same as the 'big boys' but at highstreet prices!) and so when I saw this NSpa Hot Cloth Polish in Asda for a very reasonable £5.00 (for 150ml) I snapped it up.

NSpa is a range of high quality, yet low-cost products designed by the experts at the Nirvana Spa and exclusively available at Asda stores.

The products in the range (of which I have the majority of - including serums, night creams and face masks) have very purse-friendly prices from £3 to £7.

Like many of the hot-cloth cleansers now out there on the market, NSpa's offering is very similar to that of Liz Earle's, both in the packaging design and the actual product itself.

Main ingredients in this include Ginseng, Vitamin E, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil and essential Oil of Neroli, and is dermatologically approved, suitable for sensitive skin and paraben free. It's also not tested on animals which gets it a big thumbs up!

The cleanser doesn't really have any scent to speak off, and is very thick in texture (not dissimilar to the LE), almost like an intensive moisturiser.

I find that the pump dispenser provides enough product in one pump to cover my whole face (and part of my neck) easily, and feels very luxurious and quite 'comforting' as you massage it in.

It's then easily washed off using the muslin cloth wrung out in hot water (although I personally prefer an actual wash-cloth. Possibly a tad harsh on your face, but what can I say, i'm hardcore).

Initally when I started using this I did find it stung the skin around my nose slightly, but I think my skin was going through a particularly awkward phase, as I can now now it with no problems at all.

I also use this product on my eyes (although it does state not to) and find that it doesn't irriate them. I tend to think of these hot cloth cleansers as multi-purpose products that you should be able to be used on your eyes (for convenience more than anything), therefore the fact they state you shouldn't put it near your eyes is a bit annoying - just be rebellious like me!

This cleanser is not at all drying, and combied with the cloth it does effectively remove makeup and cleanse. Because it is so thick, I personally wouldn't use it in the morning, but that's just my personal preference - I could imagine in the winter it would be a nice treat in the morning.

I would definitely recommend you try this if you're thinking of trying the Liz Earle product but don't want the price tag (at least double that of this NSpa cleanser) or if you just want to dip your toe (not literally) into the world of hot cloth cleansers.

Melanie x

Review: Asda Skin System Eye Makeup Remover

Nowadays, whenever i'm on the lookout for new beauty products, 3 main creteria apply:

Cheap (in price)

Effective

Preferably cruelty free/not tested on animals

This little number could well tick all those boxes:

The Skin System Eye Make-Up remover is only £1.50 for a whopping (for an eye make-up remover) 150ml, and is widely available in Asda stores.

All suppliers used in the production of Skin System products are based within the Europe Union and have been audited within the last 2 years by an independent 3rd party to an ethical standard. 

Asda state as part of their policy that 'Asda is against animal testing and funds research into alternatives', although one has to bear in mind that this policy may only apply to the finished product, not the actual ingredients which may have been tested on animals, which is rather disappointing. Asda have yet also to adhere to a FCOD (Fixed cut off date) scheme.

Launched in September 2011, the range includes basics such as cotton wool pads and facial washes, to more niche, complx products such as wrinkle filler system - all at very reasonable, affordable prices.

All of the Skin System products contain the Algisium C2 Complex which works to improve the appearance of your skin by stimulating cell regeneration, activating collegen synthesis and protecting against free radicals to fight the first signs of ageing.

The Eye Make-Up Remover is suitable for sensitive skins as it is free from parabens, fragrance and artifical colours, and contains Vitamin E, white tea, shea butter and aloe vera leaf juice.

The specific ingredients are:

Aqua - water

Glyceryl Stereate SE - emulsifying agent

Isopropyl Palmitate - palm oil based emollient

Stearic Acid - fatty acid

Propylene Glycol - Synthetic liquid substance that acts as a pentration enhancer

Cetearyl Alcohol - mixture of fatty alcohols

Glycerin - fat/oil component

Decyl Oleate - naturally occuring fatty acid that makes make-up removal easier

Tocopheryl Acetate - Vitamin E

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract - Shea Butter

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract - Green Tea

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder - Aloe Vera

Carbomer - thickening agent

Triethanolamine - strongly alkaline substance used as surfactant and pH adjusting chemical

Disodium EDTA - type of preservative

Sodium Benzoate - preservative

Sorbic Acid - preservative

Potassium Sorbate - preservative

Phenoxyethanol - preservative- used as an alternative to parabens

Ethylhexylglycerin - conditioning agent and (surprise, suprise) preservative

Unlike the majority of oil-based eye make-up removers, this cleanser is of a cream substance, and quite a thick one at that, which means you only need a tiny (pea-sized) amount at a time (and therefore meaning it will last you yonks!)

The directions on the bottle instruct you to apply the make-up remover using cotton wool to remove all traces of make-up, but i've found that gently massaging it with my fingers around (closed) eyes for a couple of minutes and then gently wiping away with a cotton pad does the trick really well.

Despite the list of (what seems to be) largely chemically-based ingredients (then again, most beauty products these days are), I'm actually really impressed with this make-up remover.

It powers through my mascara and eyeshadow far better than even the Bioderma Crealine H20 cleansing water did; a product that is considered HG material for models, professional make-up artists and the like the world over.

I think i've found a (better) £1.50 alternative!

Have you tried any of the Skin System products?

Melanie x